Happydays Menston

Brilliant childminders

Both of our girls have been with Tony and Gail from when they were 1 til they went to school (and for before and after school care as well). We have felt very lucky indeed to have had such brilliant care for our kids. The girls have found it like a second home. We have appreciated all the thorough organisation, dedication and attention to detail that Gail and Tony put into their work - they really do go above and beyond. They have always provided a great range of activities and outings, and have taken real care to support the girls’ learning and development as well as providing them with a safe, fun and friendly place to enjoy themselves and build wonderful friendships with the other children. We thoroughly recommend them.

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by Joy on 13/12/2021

We are delighted with our experience

My daughter has been with Gail for the last 2 years. When able, she has visited farms and soft plays. There is a strong focus on learning through play; Gail creates many opportunities for this outside with parachute games, sports day activities, air rockets and much more. She has lots of fun in the garden climbing, balancing, playing in the sand and role playing. During the pandemic, Gail has kept us well informed of the regulations and we feel that she provided the safest environment possible for all the children. She worked hard to create resources and activities that allowed social distancing to be maintained whilst providing a fun environment. She has kept us well informed with regular photos and descriptions of what she has been doing. My daughter has loved her time
there and always leaves the setting with a huge smile on her face bursting with stories from the day.

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by Donya on 07/07/2021

Excellent Childminder

Gail came recommended to us by a colleague & we are so glad we chose her to care for our daughter. She was with Gail & Tony from the age of 9 months for 4 years until she started school. I have always been very happy with the level of care they both provided and my daughter enjoyed attending every day. I found Gail & Tony to be fair, reasonable and above all very reliable. They have never let me down in 4 years of childcare- some thing as a working parent the value of which cannot be underestimated. Also, as they are very experienced, I found that they did not get overexcited about every small thing (I had friends with children in nurseries who had to be collected every 5 minutes for the most minor ailments). They provide healthy & enjoyable meals, most of which I would have preferred to my work lunches! They regularly take the children out, more so than children in a nursery setting which is a benefit of having a smaller group & their back garden also provides ample opportunity for lots of exercise & fun. I'm glad that Tony joined Gail in childminding recently as I think it's important for children to experience care from both men & women, I know my daughter & her friends found him hilarious!
Also, I've found that my daughter has really benefited from mixing with different ages of children. She was the oldest child for the last 12 months and watching her interact with her baby cousin made me realise that she learnt patience & appropriate behaviour with smaller children at Gail & Tony's. She is a credit to their good guidance.
They were very good in preparing her for school (& the parents too!) and expected us to contribute to her development by logging observations etc. This has stood me in good stead since School expect something very similar - I'm already used to providing appropriate information.
I consider myself very fortunate to have found Gail & Tony, I don't hesitate to recommend them.

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by Parent on 25/09/2017

Outstanding childcare

Our daughter has been fortunate to have had Gail as a child minder for over 2 and a half years now, since she was 18 months. It is often a very difficult decision to go back to work, as it was for me, and to choose the right care for your child. With this in mind, we felt very lucky when we found Gail, who has certainly provided a caring, bright and happy family environment for our daughter.

Our little girl has adored going to Gail’s, and cherishes her and her family (they all chip in) very highly. She has made some long lasting and fantastic friendships with children of all ages and the outcome of this means a once shy little girl has now developed very good interactive skills.

As an early years teacher myself, and my partner also being a primary school teacher, it was very important for us that our daughter was taught the skills ready for school. Gail’s home environment and its facilities, which are very much like a mini nursery, have definitely enabled this. Following this, Gail ensures the children are always out and about and busy, whether it be visits to local farms, children’s centres, puppet shows or even Eureka. At home Gail always makes learning fun and has an incredible knowledge of child pedagogy and the early year’s curriculum. Consequently, our daughter has left the setting with a good knowledge of letters and sounds, and number, and most importantly an eagerness to learn ready for her new start in Reception.

Above all, Gail has provided us with the flexibility we have needed as two parents in full time work, often having to have an early start or late finish, she is always very understanding and has an instinctively helpful nature, even in last minute circumstances. As first time parents Gail has always been there for advice, whether it is to guide our little girl through potty training, or any other pressing issues. She is very good at teaching the children how to be independent, which has been a godsend to our once, very dependent child.

We are forever thankful to Gail for the outstanding care she has provided, which has helped shape our daughter into a lively, curious, very capable and happy girl. I strongly recommend Gail and her supportive and friendly family to everyone!

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by Parent on 31/07/2014

Excellent Childminder

Gail has been our childminder for the last four years (since our daughter was 9 months) and we highly recommend her care and services.

Gail strikes a great balance between developing learning and skills with the children and having fun, most recently complementing the work at pre-school. With Gail's resourcefulness, the children frequently have trips out for additional adventure and stimulation and the extensive outside space at the house means plenty of fresh air throughout the year. Our daughter loves spending time with Gail and the other children and has built strong bonds and relationships and developed good social skills - invaluable as she starts Reception this Autumn.

As a mother working very full-time with a partner working similarly and often away, it is fair to say that our lives would be impossible without Gail and her family. Always flexible, patient and fair, frequently offering out-of-hours care, Gail is a consummate professional.

Our choice was for a childminder rather than nursery because we wanted a family environment for our daughter before the years at school. Our expectations have been exceeded in all respects. Our daughter is bright, articulate, achieving and confident and significant credit for her development is due to Gail's work. Gail's is now a second family and home for our daughter.

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by Ettaduck on 08/08/2013